74 YARD AND GARDEN 



of cultivation and of a proper depth, it is prob- 

 able that the problem can be solved by loosen- 

 ing the surface soil with a steel rake and sow- 

 ing seed. Seed-sowing, however, will avail 

 nothing if the lawn owes its deterioration to an 

 exhaustion of the plant food in the soil. Nor 

 will the application of fertilizer help; mere 

 dressings of bone meal or barnyard manure, 

 no matter how abundant, will not serve the 

 purpose. It is cheaper and quicker to put the 

 soil in "good heart" by submitting it to such 

 treatment as would be meted out to virgin 

 ground. 



